Studies done by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration have determined that packed snow and ice on the roadway constitute a major road hazard to motorists. There are numerous ways of dealing with this problem with cost and effectiveness varying.
Low cost salt applications can work well in favorable weather and traffic conditions. The application of dry salt is subjected to the hazard of being removed from a surface by both wind and air forces created by traffic. Breezes of 5 mph have been shown to remove salt from a roadway. It has been documented that the air forces created by just three trucks, traveling on a roadway after salt has been applied, will move applied salt material from the application site. Likewise, twelve cars following a salt truck will create enough air movement to move the salt applied from the site of application. Road maintenance personnel have observed roadways where the side of the road is free from snow and ice while the roadway still has compact snow and ice. Such occurs where the salt that has been applied to the roadway has drifted, bounced or migrated off the intended surface area to the side of the road. These conditions necessitate multiple applications to achieve a desirable application of salt. In many instances, the road maintenance worker increases the amount of salt that is applied in successive applications. This increases application costs, raw material costs and the accumulated salts become harmful to the environment. The invention disclosed and claimed herein provides a solution to these road maintenance issues.
The patents referred to herein are provided herewith in an Information Disclosure Statement in accordance with 37 CFR 1.97.